(CNS): The battle to get civil servants to sign the petition for a people-initiated referendum on the cruise port project will not be getting any help from civil service management after it declined to host the petition at the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue. Kenneth Bryan, the MLA for George Town Central, had approached the deputy governor about allowing the volunteers with the Cruise Port Referendum campaign to set up a table in reception to help send a strong signal that government workers whose jobs have no connection to the project can sign the petition. But Bryan told CNS on Monday that he had been told it would not be possible.

The civil service management has said on a number of occasions that civil servants who don’t work closely on tourism policy or give advice or implement tourism decisions or those that don’t work directly with the ministry of tourism can sign the petition. But the head of the Portfolio of the Civil Service, in an email to Bryan, said that hosting the petition campaigners was a step too far.

“While civil servants are entitled to exercise their private rights to freedom of expression, this ought to be done in their private lives and personal time,” said Chief Officer Gloria McField-Nixon. “The cruise berthing project is a highly contentious and polarising issue, leaving even those industries which are at the forefront of this issue, deadlocked to form a consensus.

“The civil service policy on the signing of petitions allows civil servants to participate in this national discussion in a manner which seeks to prevent conflict with their obligation to maintain the confidence of the existing and any future government of the day.”

She pointed out that GAB is primarily a place of work and she believed that allowing the collection of signatures at the GAB is not in the interest of the proper performance of civil servants’ functions, and management wished to avoid the potential disruption to the delivery of service within the building, including to members of the public.

“Further, it removes even the possibility of allegations that persons were discouraged or encouraged to participate in a particular manner, under the watchful eye of senior leaders,” McField-Nixon said.

The civil service boss added that the current policy authorises civil servants to sign petitions “where they are not in a position of conflict whilst promoting the neutrality of the civil service by keeping such polarising issues private, and outside of civil servants’ place of work”.

However, the campaigners have said on numerous occasions that regardless of public statements that those civil servants not directly involved in tourism or who hold higher officer can sign the petition, many government employees still say they are afraid to put their name to the petition. Justified or not, there are continued fears of potential harassment by their leaders — not least because the government of the day has politicised the actual referendum campaign, publicly declaring that signing the petition equated to opposing the proposed cruise and cargo project.

In light of that, Bryan told CNS that having the petition at the government building would have sent a strong signal that they could sign without fear of intimidation.

“Though I respect the chief officer’s position, it worries me tremendously as it sets a precedent for future peoples’ vote initiatives that the government building will never be a place where civil servants can exercise their democratic right,” he said. He add that McField-Nixon’s position also implied that civil servants do have reason to fear when she spoke about people signing “under the watchful eye of senior leaders”, fuelling existing fears of a backlash.

“How is that possible when ministers are not supposed to be involved in the management of public servants?” Bryan asked. He also noted that her acknowledgement that this is a polarising issue emphasises the need for public sector workers to be allowed to sign. “With the community divided down the middle, I’m saddened that they are not willing to help civil servants be involved in such a major national issues.”

Urging people to exercise their rights, he encouraged any civil servant that wants to sign but is afraid to do so, whether they are George Town Central residents or not, to contact him as he was willing to ensure they will not be harassed.

Given the significant number of voters working directly for government or public authorities, the implied disapproval about them signing has created an unfair disadvantage, as the public sector represents close to a quarter of the electorate in the first place, campaigners say.

Getting 25% of people to put their names in the public domain supporting something that the government has made abundantly clear it vehemently opposes is already challenging, and there is no surprise that civil servants are worried about the repercussions. However, the messages that campaigners have received makes it clear to them that under the protection of the secret ballot, which a referendum would provide, will enable all government workers, from the very top to the very bottom, the opportunity to express their opinion about this controversial project without fear of it impacting their jobs.

Anyone who would like to sign the petition, including civil servants, can contact campaigners on 327 5411, email cprcayman@gmail.com or visit the Cruise Port Referendum Cayman FB page for more information.

You poor people don’t stand a chance. Dart and other people’s BIG money is being eaten up by your elected officials and they think they will starve to death if they stop eating it. I don’t even pray, but I’m going to pray for the good people there that haven’t yet been tricked into the hunger.

As a Civil Servant, I am proud of Mrs. McField-Nixon for taking this stance. I know the thumbs down will be plenty and there will be much finger pointing at me, but remember when you point your one finger at me, there are 3 pointing back at you. In closing, I am a Civil Servant, but I am NOT a supporter of this government.

On what basis could you possibly be proud of the suppression of voter participation on threat of employer retribution? Are you proud to abandon your principles and core values and quietly comply with those controlling you and your actions (which you do not support) in return for a paycheck? What does that make you? Classic Stockholm syndrome…and proud of it! Smh…

I think it is time to recognise that Gloria McField needs to be put in charge of DEH so we can get this ongoing garbage collection problem sorted out.
After her demo of how good she could be at this job last August when she picked up all of the smelly stuff surrounding the move of Christen Suckoo from the Ministry of Education to OfReg, she has done herself even better this time.
The lobby of GOAP has served for days as a huge registration facility for the DG’s 5K Run for the past few years. Its a worthy cause and no reason why registration shouldn’t take place there.
But come on Gloria, spare me the b__s__ about how allowing the collection of signatures at the GAB is not in the interest of the proper performance of civil servants’ functions.
We all know that the Minister of Tourism wouldn’t stand for it, the Speaker and real Leader of the CIG definitively wouldn’t stand for it, the Premier is impotent to stand for anything these days and your boss, the DG, wouldn’t upset either of them.
You might be good at wrapping Christmas gifts, but wrapping a garbage bag is a whole new challenge. We all can see the bag Gloria. I hope you get the DEH job so you can just have a truck pick it up the next time Franz tells you to ‘wrap garbage’.

CO Gloria McField- Nixon and DG Franz Manderson…. your words and action speaks loud and clear! So much for good governance, transparency and this world class civil service! You all are an example of why things won’t get any better……

With every passing day Cayman makes another step toward becoming the most basic, mediocre, stagnant, narrow-minded, and short-sighted version of itself possible given its circumstances and potential.

B.B. King said it best: “The Thrill is (almost) Gone”.

Personally, I find the position of Alden, Moses, and CIG leadership to be absolutely disgraceful.

This decision regarding the CBF’s is of optimum national interest and will affect each and every Caymanian, resident, AND visitor.
Therefore it should be decided by us the people and not the same dozen of politicians with an extensive record of HORRIBLE decisions.

Lastly, may I remind the room the provisions that support a People’s Initiated Referendum is in Section 70 of The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009.

If our Premier, Minister of Tourism, majority elected officials, and Civil Service collectively agrees that our Government Administration Building is off-limits to a PIR – it is irrefutable proof of the cesspool that was once the lovely Cayman Islands.

I honestly don’t know how some people can face their own reflection.

Absolutely pathetic.

– Whodatis

*If ever there was a time to break rank and whistle-blow – it is now.
This country is on the fast train to the inevitable breaking point and the sooner it comes the better for us all.

3:34 pm you don’t want to sign any petition , because it has been published many time where you could sign the petition . Read the News instead of trying to marl road it , and sign the petition, not only you but everyone .

Basically: this Unity regime will continue to redact facts and use the public’s money to campaign against voters, including the use of false propaganda ads using disproven premises; and will not tolerate dissent or whistle-blowing from any employee being forced against their principles to do so as part of their job description – in spite of legal protections under the Whistle-Blowing Law championed by Gloria Nixon-McField (just 6 mos ago) which prohibit this form of employer retribution.

1. No sponsorship was sought. 2. Even if there was, it’s OUR money not CIG’s. 3. Refusing to accommodate a simple petition for a referendum to establish for a fact if the electorate support or oppose the piers is not very democratic. The government are not for the people who pay them. Like most who have signed the petition, I don’t own a tender boat and I don’t know anyone who does. But unlike you, I do love and care for Cayman.

Exactly 2.03.
Signing the document is apparently to signify my desire for a referendum on the matter , even if I am in favor of the piers.
Govt. has declared they wish to build the piers, so there is no need to sign a document enabling me to tell govt. that I am in favor of the piers.
So don’t be mistaken , only those against the piers sign the call for a referendum.

Unless you’re afraid that your side will lose, and the Referendum turns out to show that the people really don’t want the dock…. that’s the only way your comment makes sense. The Referendum is simple- are you for or against it. Just because you sign the Referendum doesn’t mean you’re against the dock. It just says you are exercising your democratic right in a TRUE democracy.

there is no ‘implied disapproval’. if anything, having the petition inside your office would have implied the exact opposite. Neutrality means staying neutral – and being seen to be so – from both sides of the coin.

People SEE what the Government has done with your life in the CAYMAN ISLANDS , think about your FUTURE and FREEDOM . IF you dont you might as well move to CUBA where they don’t have any freedom . Stand up for rights.

Running or walking for charity isn’t controversial. It’s about the least controversial thing imaginable, except a bake sale by blue iguanas to save the white rhino. I want the petition to be available anywhere but I do think the issue is so emotive (and the reality is that supporting the petition does support the opposition to the dock) that collecting signatures there would be awkward and inappropriate. Ministers decide policy and civil servants carry it out. That means every person in that building, officially, either supports the dock or does not say anything about it if they disagree, but they all have to do their jobs. To have civil servants all of a sudden taking the elevator down to sign in the lobby that they think their bosses have poor judgment, are wrong and corrupt, effectively, would not work. Senior leaders do not want to know about the private biases and opinions their staff have. Rank and file civil servants should not be practically dared to sign by the placement of a desk in the lobby of their building. The petition organisers should be looking for new locations but this one is not appropriate. For the avoidance of any doubt, I signed the petition, outside a suburban supermarket, which is the right type of non-governmental location for a petition signature collection.